Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Corean Strong

We recently had the chance to connect with Corean Strong and have shared our conversation below.

Corean, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: Are you walking a path—or wandering?
I want to believe that I am walking a path, a path that God has planned. But sometimes I feel that I am wandering. This is because there is so much to juggle, and you want them all to succeed, but you can’t give them all equal time. I find myself trying to prioritize between working on my stage plays, working on my screenplays, working on my one-man show, my book marketing, website, merchandise, voiceovers, and my contract writing for a national Christian magazine.

My idea path is to have an event center where I can do them all in one place on my own time and budget! I love entertaining people. Seeing them laugh and having a good time makes me happy. What I love more are the testimonials about what they learned and how their lives changed after seeing my shows. Some are personal changes. Others are changes that brought them to Christ or closer to Christ. I may wander off the path sometimes, but I know God will bring me back.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Corean Strong. I am a native of Vicksburg, MS, and graduated from Jackson State University with a BS degree in Computer Science. After graduation, I moved to the northeast (NY and CT). This is where God began to develop and expose my singing, directing, producing, and writing skills. Eventually, I founded NaeRoc Productions, a Christian theater where God is always center stage. I have always enjoyed making people laugh. It gives me joy to see them laughing and crying at my productions. It is more rewarding to me to read and hear the testimonials after the show of how their lives were changed personally and spiritually.

I love to write. I am currently a contract writer for the National Baptist Convention Sunday School Publishing Board. I write articles and books (Sunday School lessons) for middle and high school students. I am excited to share and challenge the minds of this age group. If I can write something to better the life of even one student, then I am pleased, and so is God. I am the author of two Christian youth leadership and development books.

I moved to Douglasville, GA, in 2018. I have produced two plays here. I am preparing to relaunch them as well as launch my signature play, All God’s Children Got Shoes. (AGCGS) AGCGS has been performed off-Broadway and won first prize at the 2008 Agape Film and Theater Awards at the Cobb Energy Center in Atlanta, GA.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
When I was thirteen years old, I witnessed something that I will never forget. It was a defining moment in my life. We lived in rural Mississippi, where we attended church every Sunday. One Sunday, we were introduced to a new pastor. He was young, early thirties. He was big, funny, and could really PREACH! This made him very impressive. One of the girls at the church was so impressed that a relationship struck up. He was married. His wife attended church with him every Sunday. The girl was only sixteen years old. She bragged openly about the relationship. I witnessed her bragging on the church front steps on Sunday.

The relationship turned sexual and public. She was the daughter of the church head deacon. We lived in a small, close-knit community, so news spread fast. Church still went on, and the wife sat quietly rocking every Sunday in the same seat, She never said a word. The girl became pregnant. She was disrespectful to his wife because she really wanted the preacher. Long story short, the girl died during childbirth. The child was born severely deformed and eventually died early. I learned to live right, be respectful to others, and be patient. I learned there are consequences to your actions. This real-life story helped shape who I am today. This will be my next project.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering, long-suffering, has taught me patience. It is good to be in the valley sometimes. We all experience some type of hardship, setback, trial, or tribulation. Some come back-to-back. We struggle and suffer to find a way out. In doing so, I learned to trust in God. I learned to pray and thank God during the hard times. I learned to pray for others who I knew were suffering more than I was. I learned to wait on God’s perfect timing. Success could not teach me this.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I believe that God gave me the stage play, “All God’s Children Got Shoes”, to be performed or ministered to as many people as possible. I only scratched the surface in the Northeast. I have much work to do! I am committed to launching it in the Southeast soon. I hope that it will grow legs and move across the country if this is God’s will. I am being patient to get the right cast, crew, and venue so that it is a hit when we launch.

I am committed to teaching when I write. I want you to learn something about yourself that you did not know, and you decided to do something about it. I want you to learn about others to inspire you to do more or to do better.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
Yes. I believe I can because I’m giving my best for God, to glorify Him. If I deserve the praise, God will give it to me if it is his will. He might reward me for it as well, on earth and in Heaven.

Praise from people is good. Everyone likes praise. I believe if you give everything your best, using the God-given talents He gave to you, people will feel the connection, the spirit, the truth. Some will praise you verbally, others will write. People may praise your works to others. You may never know if you were praised. It doesn’t matter because God knows. He will praise you with, “Well done, good and faithful servant”. That’s why I give everything my best.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://naerocproductionsllccom.wordpress.com/
• Instagram: cstrongbutler
• Linkedin: corean
• Facebook: naerocproductions and coreanstrong
• Other: http://conta.cc/49sWWol

Image Credits
Not Applicable